Well, Today’s The Day We’ve Been Waiting For

Welcome to a landmark day in the brief history of our website. In a mere five weeks, we have created a new website dedicated to covering University of Virginia athletics in a fashion we believe Wahoo Nation will appreciate. We truly appreciate your support and hope you will help spread the word to all your fellow Hoos. We have transitioned from a startup business and website, which was free during the month of July – perhaps the most challenging month of the year in terms of coverage of collegiate sports – to a pay site beginning today, Aug. 1. Certainly […]

Wahoos Announce Non-Conference Men’s Basketball Schedule

No surprises on Virginia’s men’s nonconference basketball schedule announced Wednesday afternoon, but there will be a renewal of games against old friends. Maryland and South Carolina, the only two schools to ever leave the ACC, are on tap (the Terps at College Park in the Big 10 Challenge), and a game in Columbia against the Gamecocks, the first battle with USC since an NIT matchup against Dave Odom’s team in the NIT in 2002. The Maryland game is set for Nov. 28, five days following the conclusion of UVa’s regular season football schedule at Virginia Tech. Virginia visits South Carolina […]

Orlando, FL Quarterback Becomes 18th 2019 Commitment

Virginia football gained its 18th commitment to the Class of 2019 on Monday, when dual-threat quarterback Robert Harvey, Jr., said he will be a Cavalier. Harvey is a 5-foot-10, 187-pound athlete from Orlando, Fla. (Edgewater H.S.). He had 26 offers. Robert Harvey, Jr. Harvey chose Virginia over Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Central Florida, Syracuse, Appalachian State, and East Carolina among others. He is rated a 3-star prospect by 247Sports. This is what Harvey tweeted out today to announce his decision: “First off I want to thank God for Blessing me with the opportunity to play Football. I want to thank […]

40 Years Ago On This Day, Mike Cubbage Hit For The Cycle

Mike Cubbage (right) with UVA baseball Coach Brian O’Connor during Cubbage’s induction into UVA Hall Of Fame Fasten your seatbelts. We’re stepping into Hootie’s Way Back Machine, and remember that we have to hit 88 mph on the keyboard before the flux capacitor will start. Also, try not to interact with yourself or others as it will upset the space-time continuum … July 27, 1978 Charlottesville native and current resident, Mike Cubbage, known to friends and former baseball players and coaches as “Cubby,” accomplished one of the most rare feats in Major League Baseball. As a member of the Minnesota […]

Summer Workouts End With New Tradition: “Break The Rock”

Director of Football Development & Performance Shawn Griswold encourages a player during the bench press At 5:45 a.m., Charlottesville is still dark and quiet on a sleepy summer morning. All that is about to change at the McCue Center, home of Virginia football. That’s the appointed hour the Cavaliers come rolling in four times a week, but this day – Friday – was special, the beginning of a new tradition. Senior wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus performs the “Break the Rock” ceremony “Break the Rock,” is an idea that new UVa strength and conditioning coach Shawn Griswold (affectionately tagged “Griz” by […]

This Could Be The Year The Streak With Virginia Tech Ends

One of the great things about walking the hallways of the global headquarters of JerryRatcliffe.com is the opportunity to debate Hootie on the latest story he just wrote. Which was the case last night when he said the Wahoos would definitely not finish last in the Coastal Division of the ACC. I actually agree with that, as North Carolina is a steaming, smoking, dumpster fire destined to spend the year in the league’s basement. But proclaiming Miami the best, saying Boston College was a dark horse, and dismissing Virginia Tech the way most dismiss a telemarketer calling during dinner…those were […]

What Do Writers Know? UVA Will NOT Finish Last In Coastal

I’ve always had a problem with preseason polls. Voters are usually fairly accurate about the top of the polls but after that it’s a crapshoot, and in the case of last week’s ACC Football Kickoff with hundreds of media attending, anyone can vote. By anyone, I mean anyone as in the voter who gave North Carolina a first place vote in the Coastal Division. Really? I totally agree that Miami and Clemson should be the preseason favorites in their respective divisions. Florida State will be interesting with a new coach inheriting a load of talent. Boston College is my darkhorse. […]

If You Notice A Change With Your PayPal Account…

Since apparently some of our emails go into spam folders and don’t get seen, we sent one out last night to all monthly subscribers concerning their recurring PayPal accounts. PayPal won’t let us change the dates on when you get your next bill. So even though we don’t start charging for a subscription until August 1, if you signed up early, Paypal will bill you again 30 days after that date. Which would not be right. The only solution from PayPal was to suspend the recurring payments now, then reactivate them on Sept 1, thus getting everything in sync. That […]

On A Rainy Day, What Better Project Than A Hootie Bobblehead?

Several of our subscribers have messaged us with ideas to help us out as we build our brand, and they’ve been good ones: maybe a tailgate/meet and greet at the first UVA game where we can all say hello and encourage people to subscribe; possibly a golf tournament, since Hootie loves golf and plays the game on a regular basis. But the one I liked the best was the suggestion that we should somehow have a Hootie bobblehead. Blessed with some photoshop skills, I quickly found an example of a golfer bobblehead and went through the process of attaching Hootie’s […]

Bronco Clarifies Earlier Comments About ACC-Caliber Players

It was inevitable that media attending this past week’s ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte would bring up Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall’s comments to the school’s Board of Visitors in June, particularly the remark about having but 27 ACC caliber players on the roster. The original report from a different publication didn’t clarify at the time Mendenhall had referred to his roster at that exact time. His number didn’t include players that had just graduated, the likes of Quin Blanding, Micah Kiser, Andrew Brown, Kurt Benkert, and several other departed players. That number also did not include players that would […]

When It Comes To Rivalry With VT, Focus Now Crystal Clear

CHARLOTTE, NC.- When Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall decided to leave Brigham Young University for Charlottesville prior to the 2016 campaign, he admits that he really didn’t know all that much about UVa’s football history, nor the importance of the Virginia Tech rivalry. Mendenhall jested that things have cleared up quite a bit in that regard since his tenure began. “[I knew] some about the history, some about the expectations and some about the rivalry,” Mendenhall explained during his press conference at the ACC Kickoff on Wednesday, “but now that I’ve been at UVa for two years it’s becoming clearer what […]

ACC Didn’t Come Across As Being Prepared For Gambling Issue

When ACC Commissioner John Swofford gave his state of the league speech to kick off the ACC Kickoff Media event in Charlotte Wednesday, the most popular topic on the agenda seemed to be gambling. As he fielded questions on a wide variety of topics from the gathered media, three different times the subject returned to the what-ifs that could occur if a state with an ACC School legalized gambling. Swofford gave good answers in the folksy, aw-shucks method he often effectively employs. But they really didn’t leave you with the feeling of a strong plan being in place. It instead […]

Swofford: Launch Of ACC Network Is “Right On Schedule”

CHARLOTTE, NC – With still a little over a year to go until its official launch in August 2019, the anticipation building for the ACC Network was one of the hot topics discussed by conference commissioner John Swofford during his yearly press conference at ACC Kickoff Wednesday. Two years ago at the annual event, Swofford announced plans for the future cable network in conjunction with ESPN — which will be similar to the SEC Network — and on Wednesday he provided an update on its progress heading into the 2018-19 season. “Bottom line, whether it’s production, distribution, scheduling or anything […]

UNC Coach Larry Fedora Creates A Firestorm At ACC Kickoff

CHARLOTTE, NC – Media days in college sports are generally lackluster affairs, with the league controlling the agenda, coaches saying what they’re supposed to say, and players doing the same. They are obligatory to the media, not so much for what IS said, but for what somebody MIGHT say. UNC football coach Larry Fedora did not let the media down at today’s ACC kickoff meeting. Fedora was chatting during a breakout session when a question about the new kickoff rules led into how football has changed, how coaches now teach it, the drills employed and the protocols used as it […]

Bronco’s Wish List: Infrastructure, Beat VT, Win Bowl Games

CHARLOTTE, NC – Bronco Mendenhall has a wish list on how to turn around Virginia football. Part of that list includes ending the long draught against state rival Virginia Tech. Part of the list is not only reaching bowl games, but winning bowl games. In order to get there, his program could use a little help and that help is coming from Carla Williams, the new director of athletics. Williams, with an administrative football background that includes Georgia and Florida State, has granted some of Mendenhall’s list to help Virginia’s program reach industry standards. Those were very important first steps […]

Bronco On Chris Peace: He Just Works And Works And Works….

CHARLOTTE, NC – As University of Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall put it during Wednesday’s ACC Kickoff press conference, one of the guiding principles of the program is, “less drama, more work.” No one on the team, according to the coach, exemplifies that motto like senior linebacker Chris Peace. “He is that,” Mendenhall said of the Newport News native and Denbigh High product Peace, who is credited with coining the phrase, “New Standard,” another mantra that the Cavaliers have stood by over the past year, which helped lead the team to a trip to the postseason for the first time […]

Turnover Chain “Greatest Thing Since The 10-Bite Sandwich”

While Larry Fedora was setting himself on fire in front of the press today, Miami’s Mark Richt may have had the quote of the day when asked about his reaction to one of the more publicized – and annoying – gimmicks in college football last season: the turnover chain. “What’s been my reaction? It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Richt said. “It’s really the greatest thing since the 10-bite sandwich, actually. People ask me about that — first of all, I didn’t know about the turnover chain until the first game. Coach Diaz is like, hey, Coach, by the […]

Jack Salt 2.0: Leaner, Meaner, Ready For A Breakout Season

A new version of Jack Salt has returned to Charlottesville and is champing at the bit for Virginia’s basketball season to begin. Let’s name this version “The Auckland Wall, 2.0.” UVa’s big center returned to his native New Zealand this summer and made his country’s national team, the “Tall Blacks,” which defeated Hong Kong and China in qualifying games in basketball’s World Cup. When he arrived in New Zealand, friends and family might have been a bit surprised in his appearance. Salt, at 7-feet, 250 pounds, had drastically changed his physique to a lean machine, all muscle, little body fat. […]

Jerry, Jay, Catch Up On Best Seat In The House

Jerry joined WINA Sports Director Jay James on his very successful sportstalk radio program, Best Seat In The House on July 14, 2018. The conversations went from memories of the UVA-Virginia Tech football rivalry, to Bronco Mendenhall and the UVA football program, to Tony Bennett and UVA basketball, and concluded with a conversation on former athletic director Craig Littlepage and current AD Carla Williams. Here are the four segments, where you click on each link and listen to the program: UVA-Virginia Tech football rivalry Bronco Mendenhall and the UVA football program Tony Bennett and UVA basketball A conversation on former […]